A song a day: Helmet - Speechless

Hidden towards the end of the Betty album, Speechless is an odd Helmet number from their 90’s heights (ie before they went shit). Its oddness is that it has some swing to it despite the trademark Helmet attack. It was released at a time Helmet had created a machine like efficiency to their riffing that constantly undermined Page Hamilton’s claims that he was a classically trained jazz guitarist. Speechless is half pace Helmet with a distorted riff that verges on being funky – far from the dropped D jackhammer of Strap It On. It’s also one of the few times Hamilton decides to sing rather than bark. The vocals slip over Helmet’s icy facade and reveals something unique in their canon – genuine warmth and pathos.

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